The best gifts in life are free, and this week's giveaway is no different. Columbia Pictures' The Best Picture Collection contains 11 of the legendary studio's Best Picture Oscar winners. The list of films included here include "It Happened One Night" (1934 Oscar winner), "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962 Oscar winner), 1979 Best Picture winner "Kramer vs. Kramer" and 1982's Best Picture, "Gandhi." CLICK HERE for more details on the box set.

This gorgeous, 14-disc slipcase set is pricey but not if you're up on your Oscar knowledge. We have an extra set here, and it will go to the first person to email us the four Best Picture nominees who lost out to..."Kramer vs. Kramer" in '79. So start Web surfin' ... now!

You can watch the entire interview with the "Transporter 3" star Jason Statham right here!

Jason Statham stopped by our studio this week to talk about his NEW flick, "Transporter 3!" Check out why the action star signed up for the 3rd installment of the film series!

Watch the entire interview with the 'Slumdog Millionaires' themselves Freida Pinto and Dev Patel.

Here we are with the movie awards season looming and four films of recent, current or future vintage have a World War II setting, something which hasn't happened since...well, World War II. There's "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" which followed Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna". Then there's "Good" which is about to open and "Adam Resurrected" with Jeff Goldblum.

Each explores a different aspect of the war which, changed the world forever. Each has superb performances and direction. Least likely to be getting much Oscar contention however, is Spike Lee's movie for its minuscule $10 million domestic and international gross to date. A shame...it's a fine film. But it'll be interesting to see if any of the others compete for best picture and how much studios will spend to promote them. Best bet is for Goldblum to be promoted for Best Actor in "Adam Resurrected" and Mortensen, so good in "Appalossa" with almost no dialogue, as a conflicted Nazi party member in "Good."

Although Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" didn't take home the Best Picture Oscar in 1991, it still succeeded in being the first (and to date, the only) animated film to score a Best Picture nomination. It also gave hope for future animated movies to aim for the top.

As we mentioned last week, Disney is pushing for "WALL-E" to be nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. And, we're not talking about a Best Animated Film nomination, we're talking about a 'Best Picture' nomination. Since, the Academy created a 'Best Animated' Feature in 2002, to put an animated film into the 'Best Picture' category has never really been an issue however, there are many animation enthusiasts who view this move, as the equivalent to shoving the toons off to the Oscar kiddie table.

Today, animation isn't just for kids. More mature storytelling and advances in computer animation have led to awesome achievements in cinema such as "Shrek", "Happy Feet", "Finding Nemo" and "Ratatouille." Indeed, there were many industry observers who felt Pixar's tale of a rat with a culinary flair was as deserving as any of the Best Animated Picture candidates last year, when "Ratatouille" won an Oscar. But it seems that animated films are still looked down upon, so how about we give the underdog a chance this time around? A vote for "WALL-E" as 'Best Picture' is a vote for the animated movie genre.

CLICK HERE to see our list (in no particular order) of other animated movies in recent years that were more than worthy of joining their live-action competitors in the "Best Picture" category.

A handful of directors have the prestige of being known by name to the movie-going public…and their names might carry more clout than the star or subject of that film (Spielberg, Tarantino, Clint Eastwood etc.)

But when reviewing a film, should the director be a factor?

And what if the filmmaker is a 16-year-old girl? Should we take this into account when reviewing a film? This happened recently when Jeffrey and I had to review “Faded Memories” by Anne-Sophie Dutoit.

To put it mildly, we both hated it…but felt awful denigrating a teenager’s work. Perhaps it would have been easier to judge the film without knowing the age of the director…(although this was clearly a selling point to the company releasing the film.)

Anyway, my point is, and I do have one… that we should aspire to be neutral as far as directors go. Seems obvious doesn’t it? But it’s not so easy when you think about your ‘favorite’ or ‘least favorite’ filmmakers. Next time you watch a movie by a director whose past work you’ve hated…try to forget that and watch with an open mind. It’s harder than you think.

Watch Jeffrey and my review of "Faded Memories" below!

Side-splittingly funny and incredibly un-PC, "Tropic Thunder" somehow managed to not only survive months of advance hype, but also surpass the buildup. By now, I'm going to assume you've heard all about Robert Downey Jr.'s hilarious turn as a white actor playing a black character, the scene-stealing extended cameo by Tom Cruise, and of course, the scene that people will be talking about for years to come, the 'you never go full retard' exchange between Downey Jr. and Ben Stiller.

The DVD & Blu-ray, which is now available, contains 14 minutes of footage that didn't make the theatrical cut, including an alternate ending, along with a pseudo-documentary called 'Rain of Madness that examines the making of the movie within the movie. Some of the cast members stay in character for this, and when you're talking about comedy geniuses like Stiller, Downey Jr. and Jack Black, you know you're in for some entertainment.

Here are some clips here:

One of the nice surprises from this past summer was the first animated movie in the Star Wars canon, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." It's out now on DVD & Blu-ray. While a bit disappointing to some longtime fans of the Force, I think these diehards continue to miss the point of George Lucas's space saga - namely, that it's supposed to be kids' stuff!

I kept hearing complaints that the 'Clone Wars' played too young, and was more like a Saturday morning cartoon than a feature film. Well, it was supposed to help launch the 'Clone Wars' series on Cartoon Network, so that's accurate. But Lucas has always maintained, throughout all the criticism he received during the prequels, that 'Star Wars' is and was always supposed to be, a fun adventure series aimed at younger audiences.

If you're a Star Wars fan, I think 'The Clone Wars' is an entertaining new perspective on a universe millions of us are very familiar with. Check out the extras on the dvd for a few deleted scenes, as well as a sneak peek at the Cartoon Network series (if you're not watching it already), and also a featurette where you get to meet the actors doing the voicework. Interesting stuff.

Here are some clips to whet your appetite:

If you're not a video gamer, casual or otherwise, I won't hold it against you if you skip ahead to the next post. But the game I'm talking about here is one that may be of interest to you since it features two properties well known to movie fans. "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" combines a bestselling video game franchise and a comic book giant with legendary characters such as Batman and Superman.

The game features just about all the well-known heroes and villains from both franchises. It debuts in stores Tuesday. To check out the gameplay, CLICK HERE!

Seth Rogen is making a porno, and Kevin Smith is no where to be found? Yes, it looks like that's the case. Showtime has recently given the green light for Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg the greenlight, to go ahead and screen write a series about a trio of twenty-somethings learning about love and life while working in a Porno shop.

"Meet the Fockers" one more time! It looks like Ben Stiller and the other Fockers are thinking about a third sequel to their "Meet the Parents" comedy.

"Goonies" star Kerri Green making a comeback in "Complacent."

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has come out with a new trailer! You can check it out here.

Victoria's Secret's fashion show was taped this past weekend! See which celebs decided to make an appearance to the lingerie glamor show.

Speaking of new trailers, check out the NEW trailer for "Watchmen."

From the director of "An Inconvenient Truth" Davis Guggenheim has gotten together with Sony Picture Classics to bring to life, his electric guitar documentary "It Might Get Loud."

The Jim Henson Co. is creating an adaption to the story about the boy whose nose got bigger with every lie he told...Pinocchio! Guillermo Del Toro is on board to executive produce and has plans to turn the Disney adaptation upside down, by adding a grim theme to it.

Will Smith is coming out in the new movie "Seven Pounds" on December 12th, which is about doing good for 7 strangers he encounters. So, him and his co-star Rosario Dawson were in Miami recently to donate 300 turkeys to families for Thanksgiving, in a charity premiere for their new flick.

Is anyone surprised that “Quantum of Solace” was the top earner at the box office? Sure, maybe the whopping $70.4 million debut caught people off guard (it beat the previous best Bond opening, 2006’s “Casino Royale”, by nearly $30 mil) but the 007 franchise has certainly regained the ‘must-see’ status Bond movies held through most of the 70s/early 80s, and regained somewhat during the Pierce Brosnan era. It’s amazing really, when you consider Bond as movie franchise is nearly 50 years old! Everyone seemed to be talking about going to see “Quantum” and it seems like nearly everyone did, ignoring mostly mixed reviews.

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” earned a sturdy $36M ($118M total), just a 42% decline from its opening weekend, although those figures were inflated by the Veterans Day weekend. In third place is one of the big surpises of the fall, “Role Models.” The Paul Rudd/Seann William Scott R-rated comedy took in $11.7M ($38.1M total), losing only 38% of its debut attendees. Along with the success of Kevin Smith’s recent “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”, “Role Models” proves that Judd Apatow doesn’t have the patent on raunchy comedy success.

“High School Musical 3: Senior Year came in fourth and now has earned $84.3M, while Clint Eastwood’s Angelina Jolie showcase “Changeling” earned $4.2M for a $27.6M total. Not bad for a period drama about a depressing subject matter.

**INDIE ALERT**

One of the first true Oscar contenders debuted this past weekend in limited release, and “Slumdog Millionaire” did stellar business. Danny Boyle’s widely acclaimed movie earned $350,000 on just 10 screens, a whopping $35,000 per-screen average. We’re interviewing the two young stars of the film on this week’s episode of RT. You can check out Jeffrey & Alison’s review of “Slumdog” here.

Since we just had Dan Dreiberg himself visit the REEL TALK studios (that would be Patrick Wilson, last week’s Top Billing guest), our ‘Watchmen’ fever has returned. And wouldn’t you know the newest trailer for Zack Snyder’s epic adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ comic book classic has been released.

Check it out!

Watch the ENTIRE interview with "Watchmen" star Patrick Wilson right here!

Considering all the behind-the-scenes controversy surrounding this movie (in a nutshell, the producer Scott Rudin and the studio head Harvey Weinstein were battling over whether or not the film could be ready in time for an Oscar push this fall), I'm very curious to see if the film is worth the fuss.

Starring Ralph Fiennes, David Kross and Kate Winslet and directed by Stephen Daldry from a bestselling novel, "The Reader" is a time-spanning story about an unorthodox love affair between a teenager and an older woman set in post-World War II Germany. It debuts in NY, LA and San Francisco on Dec. 10th before expanding nationwide on Christmas Day.

Check out the trailer here!

From the director of the heart warming story "The Pursuit of Happyness" comes "Seven Pounds." Will Smith stars in the drama that intertwines the lives of seven strangers. Check it out!

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman come together in the love story "Australia." Check out the trailer for this unlikely romance.

Ugly Betty is making a movie! America Ferrera, star of the hit TV show 'Ugly Betty' will be executive producing 'Tragic' alongside Sergio Aguero ('Y Tu Mama Tambien.)

'Wall-E' and 'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa' are 2 of the 14 animated films that were submitted for consideration for an Oscar nomination.

Cinematical.com reports a 'Trainspotting' sequel!

The greatest predator of the sea has arrived in Venice! Check out the movie trailer for this new movie 'Sharks in Venice.'

Will Smith's baby boy to be the next 'Karate Kid.' The 1984 classic 'Karate Kid' will be having a little make over, with a re-vamped script and new star Jaden Smith.

Jennifer Aniston and Matthew McConaughey play the couple role in this new family comedy 'Marley and Me.'

Here is the trailer for 'Slumdog Millionaire' which is coming into theaters this weekend (check back this weekend to see Jeffrey and Alison's review!)

Young film goers these days might be accustomed to seeing the director Peter Bogdanovich on their small screens rather than behind the camera. He played a character on “The Sopranos” after all.

But recently he’s been popping up on the big screen too. I have just seen him in three films and I have to say, I always enjoy him as an actor. In “Humboldt County” he played the demanding father of the main character. In “The Doorman” he managed to be the only redeeming feature in a pretty unwatchable “comedy”. And just last week I saw him play the manager of a former do-wop group in “The Dukes”.

All good performances… but seeing him made me wonder what happened to his directing career? I last interviewed him in 2001 for “The Cat’s Meow,” a little seen and somewhat frivolous murder mystery set on William Randolph Hearst’s yacht. Since then, there’s been some TV stuff (an episode of “The Sopranos”) and a documentary about Tom Petty.

So it’s exciting to see that he’s directing “The Broken Code” coming out sometime next year. Until then, anyone unfamiliar with his work should rent “The Last Picture Show” or “Paper Moon” to understand how talented this actor really is.

And... check out the entire interview with Vera Farmiga, right here!

By: Jamie DeLoma, NBCNEWYORK.com News Editor
The spirit of Michael Myers returned to the fictional streets of Haddonfield, Ill. three decades to the day of the infamous babysitter murders that gave birth to the highly successful horror movie franchise, "Halloween." Only this time nearly a thousand people from around the world stalked him.

Actors and crew members from the iconic original slasher flick "Halloween" – and its eight sequels – came together for the Terror Convention over this past Halloween weekend (Friday, October 31st to Sunday, November 2nd.) Each of them shared their reflections of the film's impact on society, cinema and their lives. While also sharing their production memories and answering audience questions in Pasadena, Calif. where many of the movies were filmed.

Danielle Harris, of "Halloween 4," "Halloween 5" and Rob Zombie's "Halloween" remake; and Nancy Loomis and P.J. Soles of John Carpenter's original "Halloween," were among the most popular personalities. However, Jamie Lee Curtis, who played Laurie Strode in the original "Halloween," and directors Carpenter and Zombie were unfortunately not present.

In addition to signing autographs and taking photographs with fans, for $20 per celebrity, the movie stars helped volunteers give six-hour bus tours of many of the buildings used in the movies – including the homes and schools used in the original and remake versions of "Halloween."

The big house, the white picket fence, the trophy wife, the beautiful kids... aren't those the goals that society seems to aim towards? Before you know it you are working 10-12 hour days and never making enough money but, you get to keep the image of living the American Dream. Is it really a dream come true? 'Revolutionary Road' which, is coming to theaters December 26th brings that into question. Starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio, check out the trailer for 'Revolutionary Road' below.

Too cute! 20th Century Fox will be releasing the new comedy 'Marley and Me' on Christmas day this year. The comedy stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston who ease into the idea of a family by naturally, getting a dog first. However, when the dog behaves worst than the most evil child I don't know how appealing the idea of starting a family can be. Check out the trailer below!

After being behind the camera for "Changeling" Clint Eastwood is back in front of it, in his new movie "Gran Torino." Check out the trailer for the new flick Eastwood, directs and stars in.

Moe, Larry, Curly... welcome to the millennium! Looks like Peter and Bobby Farrelly have gotten the okay with MGM to direct 'The Three Stooges.' MGM has already set a release date for November 20, 2009.

Charlize Theron is in talks to star alongside Tom Cruise in "The Tourist."

Get a free copy of "Twlight" song "Bella's Lullaby" from iTunes! Fine out more here!

The pilot for "Manchild" starring Kevin Smith, James Purefoy, John Colbett and Paul Hibb will be airing on Showtime Wednesday at 4:15 AM. The show (which is suppose to be a forty-something male version of 'Sex and the City') was not picked up by any network, so check out the pilot and see why or why not this wasn't brought on air.

Bruce Springsteen wrote a new song for his fellow New Jersey natives. It's called "A Night with the Jersey Devil." Check it out here!

Also, Dustin Hoffman is coming out in a new movie! Check out the trailer for his new movie "Last Chance Harvey" coming to theaters December 26th.

Anxious about the new movie "Twilight"? Well, Summit Entertainment has joined with Movie Tickets.com and Fandago.com to give "Twilight" fans a change to pre-order their movie tickets and download a free copy of "Bella's Lullaby" off of Itunes.

Want to get a sneak peek into what the "Twilight" movie has in store for you? Well then CLICK HERE to watch some of the clips!

As everyone knows, the newest James Bond movie, "Quantum of Solace" is about to open. It's the 22nd in the endless series which began (not with "From Russia, With Love" but) on a CBS TV show in the early fifties in which the character of "Little Jimmy Bond" appeared on an episode of "Climax!"

And yes, that was the original "Casino Royale", co-starring, as Le Chiffre, not Orson Welles, who played him in the first movie version, but the great Slovak actor Peter Lorre. Anyway, through the years various Bonds have fought Soviet agents, SPECTRE and its hired killers, mad scientists, and the lot. But can that still be relevant today?

After the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cold War unofficially ended, and a decade later the evildoers came out of Afghanistan. You can't have Bond plausibly slipping into a cave somewhere over there to fight Al Queda, dressed in a dinner jacket. So instead, today's Bond villains are international Eco terrorists or sinister organizations trying to gain a stranglehold on fossil fuel supplies, or...without giving away anything from the new movie, other precious natural resources.

But the women in the Bond movies are still appendages and the eye candy for male viewers and a little more. However, after 22 movies and everyone from Sean Connery to yes, Woody Allen in the role, (the aforementioned first movie version of "Casino Royale,") Bond may seem an anachronism. However, we still want him to be relevant, we still want this icon of suave to be able to save humanity, or a portion thereof, even if with each succeeding movie, he seems more and more an unlikely character.